RBI would do well to just ask its own employees with blindness.
I haven't heard of any visit by RBI officials to know the reality.
सादर / With thanks & Regards
राजेश आसुदानी Rajesh Asudani
सहायक महाप्रबन्धक AGM
बाजार आसूचना ईकाई MIU
भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक Reserve Bank of India
नागपुर Nagpur
0712 2806846
President
VIBEWA
Co-Moderator
VIB-India
A-pilll = Action coupled with Positivity, Interest, Love, Logic and
laughter.
-----Original Message-----
From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On
Behalf Of Kotian, H P
Sent: 16 August 2018 15:52
To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning
the disabled. <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Subject: Re: [AI] Report on Accessible currency notes
Well, although the organisations that RBI chooses to visit, can have their
own view in the matter, however, it would be more prudent if we present
ourselves in a manner which is uniform and consistent.
If anyone hears about such visit, pl share the information on the list.
We can provide any assistance on the inputs.
Harish.
-----Original Message-----
From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On
Behalf Of George Abraham
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2018 1:21 PM
To: 'AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues
concerning the disabled.' <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Subject: Re: [AI] Report on Accessible currency notes
Two points.
1. These recommendations are not the end of the road. Officials from RBI
are travelling and meeting up with various groups to get to feasible
solutions that would make the currency notes and coins accessible.
2. I had also presented to the court a separate set of recommendations
which I will share vide a separate mail.
-----Original Message-----
From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On
Behalf Of manohar vaswani
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2018 11:24 AM
To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning
the disabled.
Subject: Re: [AI] Report on Accessible currency notes
nowhere it says that notes and coins should be identifiable by touch
On 8/16/18, Kotian, H P <hpkot...@rbi.org.in> wrote:
All
I am afraid there are 3 blaring shortcommings in the recommendation:
1 The shape of symbols should not have been there at all in the
recommendation. This is essentially where RBI has been misguided and
they take it is a final act of making the currency accessible. I am
extremely disappointed in reading this.
2 It should have been clearly articulated that the size
differentiation should be of minimum 10 mm to its nearest
demonomination. This too was not there.
3 Finally there should have been a recommendation to withdraw all
the inaccessible notes to be phased out in a phased manner expeditiously.
We have clearly lost the battle.
If it all there is something there in the recommendation it is only
for the partially sighted with reference of color differentiation.
Totally blind persons have been miserably sidelined.
From BGFI we had shared all the good practices and practical
recommendation after making thorough research on the issue on the
list. If only it was looked into.
Very, very disappointed.
Harish.
-----Original Message-----
From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On
Behalf Of George Abraham
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2018 3:48 PM
To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues
concerning the disabled. <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Subject: [AI] Report on Accessible currency notes
Hi!
Sharing below the report submitted to the Delhi HC by the Amicus Curie
regarding accessible currency. This report was submitted in the first
week of April 2018. Subsequently, officials of the RBI have been
travelling across the country meeting up with different stakeholder
groups and taking suggestions. If you have any ideas that you might
like to share, please feel free to write to me. Happy to share good
and practical ideas with the court as well as RBI.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
WRIT PETITION(C ) NO.10727 OF 2017
IN THE MATTER OF :
All India Confederation of the Blind VS. RBI & Anr.
REPORT OF THE AMICI CURIE ON THE ISSUE OF ACCESSIBILITY OF VISUALLY
IMPAIRED PERSONS TO THE INDIAN CURRENCY
INTRODUCTION:
That Writ petition C No.10727/2017 titled as All India Confederation
of the Blind Vs. Reserve Bank of India & anr. was filed making the
following
prayers:
A) issue a writ/ direction/ order in the nature of mandamus and/ or
certiorari directing, commanding and requiring the Respondent no.'s 1
and 2 for ensuring/ changing/ modifying all new legal tender bank
notes and coins currently in circulation to make them easily
identifiable and differentiable for all visually impaired, i.e. blind
and those with low vision.; and/ or
B) issue a writ/ direction/ order in the nature of mandamus and/ or
certiorari directing, commanding and requiring the Respondent no.'s 1
and 2 for withdrawing/ replacing all new legal tender bank notes and
coins currently in circulation in a phase-wise, reasonable and
time-bound manner by issuing fresh/ new legal tender bank notes and
coins easily identifiable and differentiable for all visually
impaired, i.e. blinds and those with low vision.
Further, Writ Petition ( C) no.9728/2017 titled as Rohit Dandriyal & Ors.
Vs. Reserve Bank of India & Anr. was filed making the following prayers:
a) Direct the respondent No.1 for issue the new Rupee 50/- with
identification mark for visually impaired persons;
b) Direct the respondent No.2 for approve the new Rupees 50 which
bearing
the identification mark for visually impaired persons.
c) Direct respondents to withdraw new 50/- rupee note currency
without
identification mark for visually impaired persons & also stop the
printing of such currency bank note which is without identification
mark for visually impaired persons.
Thus, while the writ petition C no.10727/2017 covered the broader
issue of the inclusion of features in bank notes and coins which
enable the visually impaired person to identify currency of different
denominations, writ petition (C) No.9728/2017 is restricted to the
issue of identification of only 50 rupee bank note.
Vide order dt.16.2.2018 the undersigned were appointed as amici curie
to assist the court in both the petitions.
Before making recommendations, it is appropriate to give a brief
background of the genesis of the issue involved. Before
demonetization, both bank notes and coins had features such as major
difference in size with regard to bank notes of different
denominations and difference in shapes and sizes with regard to coins
of different denominations which enable visually impaired person to
identify currencies of different denominations easily.
However during the process of demonetization and thereater, RBI has
issued new bank notes of Rs.10, 50, 200, 500 & 2000 which is in
circulation in the economy of the country at present. These bank
notes do not have features which could enable visually impaired
persons to differentiate between the bank notes of different
denominations. No doubt, there is a very little and insignificant
difference in the size of each denomination of bank notes but i.e. so
negligible that it is difficult to identify bank notes of different
denominations by a visually impaired person. It is claimed that since
Rs.50 note is having some embossed markings in the form of straight
lines,
the same meets the accessibility requirement of visually impaired person.
However, it is not so. In the first place, the lines / markings
cannot sustain for long and secondly, these markings have no
relationship with the denomination of Rs.50 to enable visually
impaired person to understand what it stands for. Further, for low
vision persons, there is no change of colours in bank notes of
different denominations which is essential for them to identify
different denominations bank notes. A perusal of the affidavit filed
by RBI reveals that RBI had consulted National Association for the
Blind. However, there were various suggestions given by National
Association for the Blind which were not taken into account by RBI
while
issuing bank notes.
LEGAL POSITION
That Section 12 (4)(a) of Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act 2016
which came into force w.e.f. April 2017, mandates the appropriate
Govt. which include Central Govt. also to take steps to ensure that
all their public documents are in accessible formats. Thus,
accessibility to public documents besides other infrastructure and
services for persons with disabilities including visually impaired
persons is a right recognized by Rights of Persons With Disabilities
Act 2016. Further, section 13 of RPD Act 2016 recognizes the rights
of persons with disabilities including visually impaired persons to
own or inherit property, movable or immovable, control their financial
affairs and have access to bank loans, mortgages and other forms of
financial
credit. Thus, ability to identify bank notes of different
denominations and coins of different denominations independently is a
right vested in visually impaired person under the Act. Reserve Bank
of India is empowered to issue bank notes of different denominations
on the recommendation of Central Board U/S 25 of Reserve Bank of India
Act 1934. Thus, the bank notes issued by RBI during and after the
demonetization do not meet the accessibility requirements of persons
with visual impairment though the said Right of Accessibility to bank
notes is a right recognized by RBI Act.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
We have examined the pleadings in both the petitions. Before making
the recommendations, we would like to submit that while finalizing the
recommendations, we have tried to balance larger national economic
interest and rights of persons with visual impairment. Further, the
recommendations, if implemented, will also be useful and beneficial
for other segments also such as illiterate particularly urban and
rural poor as the issue of identification of bank notes and currency
is also an issue for them. Based on these considerations, we make the
following recommendations:-
1. Central Govt. and Central Board should be directed to provide
distinguishing features in any bank note or coin of different
denomination to be issued hereafter which are identifiable and
recognizable easily by visually impaired persons and also those who
cannot read the denominations printed on the bank notes or engraved on
the coins at the time of deciding on the design, material and form of
the
bank notes U/s 25 of RBI Act.
2. Whenever existing bank notes and coins are withdrawn from
circulation,
they should be substituted by the bank notes or coins having such
distinguishing features as recommended in this report.
3. The distinguishing features on the bank notes of different
denominations may largely be different shapes in the corner of bank
notes coupled with different sizes of bank notes for different
denominations.
Further, the colour of bank notes of different denominations should
also be different. In so far as the coins are concerned, the shape of
each of different denomination coin should be different. To
illustrate, it may be considered that bank note of 10 Rupee
denomination may have a triangular shape of left hand top corner of
the note. Further, 50 Rupee note may have round shape of right hand
top corner and so on and so forth. The difference in the sizes of
different denomination bank notes should be in the width and not in
the length of bank note. Similarly, one rupee coin may have round
shape whereas two rupee coin may have quadrilateral shape and so on
and so
forth.
4. It is learnt that RBI proposes to issue plastic currency on an
experimental basis. It is therefore recommended that while issuing
plastic currency / bank notes, the Central Govt. should ensure that
recommended distinguishing features are incorporated in the said
currency making it possible for visually impaired and other segments
of the society to identify and recognize different denominations
currency
easily and independently.
(S.K. RUNGTA) (GEORGE ABRAHAM)
Senior Advocate & CEO Score Foundation &
Amicus Curie Amicus Curie
IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
WRIT PETITION(C ) NO.10727 OF 2017
IN THE MATTER OF :
All India Confederation of the Blind VS. RBI & Anr.
INDEX
S.NO. PARTICULARS PAGES
1. Report of the Amici Curie on the
issue of accessibility of visually
impaired persons to the Indian currency
(S.K. RUNGTA) (GEORGE ABRAHAM)
Senior Advocate & CEO Score Foundation &
Amicus Curie Amicus Curie
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passwords, etc. It never keeps or offers funds to anyone. Please do not
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may look.
Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
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